


something spectacular

by JustAnotherWriterChica



Category: Call the Midwife
Genre: F/F, a slight bit of emotional turmoil, i love these idiots, please let them be gay, which amounts to some fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2020-01-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:34:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22237183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustAnotherWriterChica/pseuds/JustAnotherWriterChica
Summary: Valerie comes home from a visit to see her family soon after her Gran's trial and she's an emotional wreck. Lucille follows after her to make sure she's okay and some truths get revealed.
Relationships: Lucille Anderson/Valerie Dyer
Comments: 4
Kudos: 60





	something spectacular

**Author's Note:**

> hello to everyone who ships these two together! I appreciate you opening up my story and hope that you enjoy the read. I'm terribly sorry for any spelling or grammatical errors in here, this was just something quick that I whipped up tonight and only gave it a once over. I really love this story though and I hope you do too!

Not much was happening in Nonnatus House this particular Sunday afternoon. The nuns were out tending to the garden, meaning that Sister Monica Joan was talking to the weeds being discarded as the others took care of the flowers. Fred was in the kitchen with Reggie at the moment. The boys had come in earlier muttering something about a surprise for Mrs. Buckle. That left the other midwives free to relax and watch television or read or whatever else they pleased, as long as they were listening for the telephone. 

They were having a rather pleasant lazy day until about half past two. Valerie had left in the morning to visit some family and hadn’t returned until this very moment, giving the heavy front door a slam as she entered. The midwives all eyed each other in confusion before sitting up and peering down the hallway where the brunette was basically assaulting the coat rack as she hung her things. Before anyone could utter a word, Valerie was stalking past them and making a beeline up the stares.

It didn’t take an expert to notice the tears that had been streaming down her face or the shaky breaths she had been exhaling. 

Another look passed between the three before Phyllis asked, “Where did she say she was off to this morning?”

“A visit with family,” Trixie answered as she continued to look up the stairs. “She hasn’t seen them since our court date.”

Lucille’s shoulders sank as she followed the blonde’s gaze to the door that had been given the same treatment as the front entrance. She had so been hoping Valerie’s family would be more receptive and forgiving now, but it wasn’t meant to be apparently. She and Val had talked extensively about it as the brunette had been agonizing over making this trip all week. 

She was pulled from her thoughts when Phyllis spoke again. “Should we leave her be for a while? She might need some time to think.”

“No.” Both Trixie and Lucille responded at the same time, glancing at each other with a faint smile before Trixie piped up. “She doesn’t do well when left with her own thoughts, Valerie always needs a comforting word. I think you should go up there Lucille.”

“Me?” Lucille, of course, longed to go comfort Valerie but she didn’t always jump at the chance to show her affection. They had been dancing around... something for the past few weeks which was making the young woman a bit jumpy. There had been glances that had lasted too long, whispered words, and touches that were far too intimate to be pure friendship. It made Lucille nervous, they were treading in terrifyingly dangerous water right now, but it also excited her to no end. Whatever she had with Valerie right now, it was addicting and she could never get enough of it. 

“Yes, you.” The blonde nodded and Phyllis made a shooing motion when she looked for her approval as well. Not another second passed before she was quickly ascending the stairs and gliding across the top landing. She stopped right before the door to the room shared by Trixie and Valerie, giving it a hard knock. 

There was a pregnant pause that passed before she heard the muffled, “Go away!”

Lucille rolled her eyes and crossed her arms as she shouted back, “Valerie Dyer you can either let me in now or I can just sit out here all day until you’re finally ready to talk. Either is fine by me, but I would appreciate it if you picked the first option.”

Another long pause before there was a click of the doorknob unlocking and the door was swinging open to reveal the distraught brunette. She looked a wreck as Lucille took her in, mascara running, red puffy eyes, a slight tremor in her stance. Nothing like the cheery, brave woman who she normally looked to for reassurance and a comforting smile. 

“Oh darling.” Lucille whispered with such concern and care laced into those two words alone. That must have done Valerie in because she exhaled with a large sob and her knees seemed to give out from beneath her. Thankfully Lucille was close enough that it only took a half step for her to wrap her up in her arms and slow the descent, both of them sliding to the floor a bit more gracefully than anticipated. 

Valerie seemed to fight the embrace for a moment and Lucille almost let her climb out before shaking her head and tightening her grip. The brunette gave in a moment later and instead lowered her head to Lucille’s neck, muffling her cries in the midwife’s shirt. They sat like this for a few minutes, Lucille’s head leaned back against the doorway as she rubbed comforting circles in Val’s back, whispering sweet nothings, and Valerie shaking every few seconds as sobs racked her body. If Lucille concentrated she could hear Trixie and Phyllis whispering downstairs, but they had thankfully moved farther into the house to give them some privacy. She just hoped the nuns would remain outside for the time being. 

When Valerie seemed to let out one last big shudder, Lucille pulled back a little bit to glance down at her. Her eyes looked glazed, not really concentrating on anything in front of her as she peered down at the floor which made Lucille a bit concerned. She brought a hand up to rub the brunette’s arm as she spoke, “Do you want to come lie on the bed with me and we can talk about it?”

There was a small nod against her shoulder so Lucille rose to her feet then turned to give Valerie a hand. When she looked down she realized just how small Val looked in this moment, curled into herself, and wiping away some of the tear tracks with the back of her hand. Valerie took her hand and lifted herself off the ground, linking her hand with Lucille’s as she led them to her bed. Lucille plopped down first, reclining against the headboard and opening her arms for Valerie to join her. The brunette immediately plastered herself to Lucille’s side before heaving a great sigh, the breath tickling Lucille’s skin. 

“I’m sorry that I’m being such a baby about this.” Valerie murmured as she began to play with the blanket to occupying her fidgeting hand. “Today was just horrible, it was everything I feared it to be.”

Lucille stroked a hand up and down Valerie’s back, “Can you tell me about it, love? I know it took a lot for you to even walk over there today.” 

The hand around her waist tightened as Valerie pulled her closer and Lucille felt her breath hitch a little at the proximity. She pushed those thoughts aside though, waiting for Valerie to divulge today’s story to her, focusing everything on her needs. “I went to the bar at eleven, just like my aunt asked me to do and tucked myself away in a corner to wait for everyone. They made me wait for an hour and a half and in the meantime any number of people came up to me, half of them telling me I was a hero, the other half telling me I was a filthy snitch.

“Then when my aunt and some of the rest of my family showed up they pulled me into the back room and started with it. They let me know everything they’ve been thinking alright.” Valerie chuckled darkly as she thought back to it. “Everything. All manners of curse words and shouting. I tried to argue back, to defend myself, grasp at something but they didn’t want to hear it. Eventually I just gave up and told them I was done and I left out the back door. Don’t think I’ll be invited to any family parties anytime soon.”

Valerie meant it as a light joke to ease the tension but that realization actually made her tear up a bit once more. “I know I’ve done the right thing and that she needed to be taken off the street but I just don’t understand why I’m the one paying the price. I can’t walk down the street these days without even a stranger yelling something nasty at me!”

The brunette broke down to tears once again, bunching her hands into fists as she clutched at Lucille’s shirt. For her part, Lucille began to rock them back and forth as much as possible, trying to offer any sort of comfort she could. She knew what it was like to be distanced from her family, not in this particular manner, but still. “I know you’re having a hard go of it sweetheart. Just let it all out and then we can figure it out together, I’ve got you.”

“I just—“ Valerie whimpered, “I just didn’t think it would hurt this much. I thought I could take it. That I could bear that burden for the rest of them but I can’t Lucille, it’s too much.” She shrugged her way out of Lucille’s grip, sitting up and wiping at her tears angrily. “I’m not that strong. I can’t take the yelling and the whispers and the friends I’ve lost. Why is this still happening! It’s been a month and I’m still scared to walk out of this house some days.”

Lucille shrank back for a moment, not having expected the brunette to have such an outburst but she got her wits back together quickly. Tears could only be comforted, but anger could be reasoned with. “You’re scared of people who are ignorant? People who can’t see the good that you’ve done by turning your nan in?”

“No,” Valerie answered with a shrug. “I’m not scared of them, I suppose. I’m scared of the people that she actually hurt and what might happen next.” She rolled her head back on her shoulders as she took a shaky breath and continued in a much quieter tone, “I’m scared people will lose faith in me. I’m terrified that people won’t let me touch them to help because we’re related and that one day Sister Julienne will pull me into her office and that’ll be the end of it. I’ll be out on the curb with nowhere to go.”

“Valerie Dyer, you have to know how absolutely absurd that sounds don’t you?” Lucille knew that one’s mind could run away with them when frightened and that someone had to be the voice of reason. She wish Valerie had divulged this to her earlier for them to deal with together, rather than silently weathering the storm like the brave soldier she was. The battle was over, now is the time to heal. 

The woman had the decency to look sheepish as she sighed and leaned back on her arm, running a hand over the leg that was still entangled in Lucille’s. “I know, logically, I know it’s ridiculous but I can’t help to let my mind run there. I thought my nan hurting someone was unimaginable and here we are.” She ran a hand over her face, “I’m just scared of what comes next.”

Lucille leaned forward and scooped up Valerie’s hand in her own, running a thumb over trembling fingers. “Well, whatever comes next you won’t be facing it alone.” She smiled at Valerie, who offered her a shaky one in return as her eyes roamed around Lucille’s face. If she noticed that they kept returning to her lips, she wasn’t going to comment. “No matter what happens, I will be here. I will be with you every step of the way.”

Valerie leaned forward a bit, her hand going still in Lucille’s. “Yeah I’m sure you say that to every distressed girl that throws herself into your lap.” She smiled hesitantly, eyes flickering down one more time. Valerie knew that she was playing with fire but she already laid every other thought bare to this woman today, she might as well push one last boundary. 

“No. Just you,” she replied with a shaky breath. Lucille brought a hand up to press against Valerie’s chest, unsure of whether she wanted to push her away or just pull her that much closer. She looked into the kind blue eyes that were fixated on her face, trying to determine how far she was allowed to push today. She wasn’t entirely sure what they were doing but it was hard to hold anything back as they sat like this, wrapped up in each other and emotionally raw. “Val...”

“Yeah?” Valerie shifted ever so slightly, leaving her hovering a few short inches above Lucille’s face, both of them quite breathless without having done much of anything. 

“We shouldn’t be doing this.” Lucille murmured even as her body was betraying her, squirming under Valerie’s touch as heat pooled in her stomach. 

Valerie, for her part, chuckled. “We haven’t done anything yet Luce.”

Her response was nothing but a low rasp and it made Lucille let out a little whimper, it wasn’t fair that the brunette held such a power over her. The rational part of her mind kicked back into overdrive though and she tried to catch Valerie’s eye. “Valerie, I’m not sure that you’re in the right place to start something here. I don’t think I can be what you need right now.”

That drew Valerie’s attention and her wandering eyes snapped back to stare into brown eyes, lips drawing into a frown. “No.”

“No?” Lucille pulled her head back as she stared on in confusion. “No, what?”

“No, Lucille I am in the right place to start something. Yes, today was very hard and tiring but it showed me who the people that care about me really are. I don’t think my mind has ever been more clear than right now and I know what I want.” Valerie moved to once again close some of the distance between them. “I want to be here, in this wonderful house that has become a true home. I want to be with the amazing people that are in our lives, people who give a damn about right and wrong. And I really want to be here, right now in this moment, with you.

“I want to start something that I think could be the most spectacular part of my life.” And with that Valerie surged forward and kissed Lucille like there would never be another moment for it. Lucille froze for a moment, dumbstruck from everything that she had just heard, before she melted into the kiss. It was a little sloppy and a tad frantic but this moment was completely theirs and it was beautiful.

Lips moved together until they had to break for air, foreheads resting against each other as they caught their breath. When Lucille looked up she found Valerie staring at the space between them and biting her lip, looking like she was nervous for some reason. A small smile graced her lips as she hooked a finger underneath the brunette’s chin and lifted until they were looking into each other’s eyes again. Lucille gave her another quick peck on the lips and a broad smile, “Valerie Dyer, I would very much like to start something with you.”

All uncertainty disappeared from those big blue eyes and they began to shine with joy, all traces of earlier tears and despair completely vanished. “Yeah?”

“Yes.” Lucille couldn’t help the light blush that made its way to her cheeks, she felt like a schoolgirl again in this moment. She brought their hands together again and with a sigh said, “but I think if we don’t go downstairs soon, the others are going to come looking for us to make sure you’re okay. Let’s go make an appearance and get you some food and something warm to drink.”

Valerie grumbled but still stood from the bed and pulled Lucille to her feet as well. Lucille had one hand on the door knob when Valerie pulled her back in for another searing kiss. She was about to abandon any thoughts of going downstairs when Valerie pulled back and said, “Right, I’m starving, let’s head downstairs,” with an impish smile.

The brunette pulled the door open and made her way to the staircase as Lucille stared on, still rooted to her spot when she finally shook herself out of her momentary stupor. “Valerie Dyer you are going to be a lot of trouble,” she muttered to herself before following downstairs.

Valerie had already made her way to the kitchen and was calling back to Lucille, asking her what she fancied to drink, as Lucille strode past the living room. She pretended not to notice the knowing smirk that Trixie and Phyllis shared, that seemed far too mischievous for Lucille’s liking and instead made a beeline for the kitchen.

She had no time to worry about what they may or may not think right now, Lucille had something spectacular waiting for her.

**Author's Note:**

> And that's what I have to add to our small ship! Again, hope you all enjoyed it and as always kudos and comments are much appreciated!!


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